Meaning & use

crude

adjective·Academic

Rough or basic in a way that lacks skill, sophistication, or refinement.

See it in a sentence

They built a crude shelter out of branches and leaves to survive the storm.

His crude jokes made several guests visibly uncomfortable at the dinner table.

A note on using this word

Also used as a noun for unrefined petroleum, straight from the ground before processing.

Words with a similar meaning

roughunrefined

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

Unrefined petroleum, as it comes directly from the ground before processing.

The price of crude rose sharply after the pipeline was shut down.

Make it your own

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